#danieldiaz

daniel diaz my beloved.

Thanks Don's Tunes

First day back from vacay....

...and everything's already busted. I'm regretting that we didn't stay a couple days longer.

Unfortunately, we can't spend forever sleeping our days away and putting off what needs to be done. It was time to get back to work. It broke my heart to see how upset Sunnie was when she knew I was leaving. She even refused a bear hug and she loved those. She didn't understand that I was doing this for her so that she could have a better life than I did growing up. So that we could finally buy a home. But that stuff didn't matter to a kid. I told her that I was sorry and that I would be gone only for a little while. That didn't make it any better. She had no idea how hard it was for me to leave her too.

The babysitter told me that after I left, Sunnie just stood there staring at my paintings. Waiting for me to come home.

But I guess she got tired of waiting and decided to take a nap.

Later that day, a friend of Dad's came over. She used to do free repairs for him whenever I wasn't around. She told me how sorry she was. “He was such a kind man. Everyone in the neighborhood loved him, and you know he knew everyone.” She said she was just dropping by to give her condolences. I thanked her for all she did for Dad and offered her a piece of art from my collection in the lobby. I was happy to give back to someone who generously lent a hand to my dad when he needed it.

I also got a visit from our local librarian. She said the library just added a Kiddy Corner where volunteers could read to children. “We would love to feature a piece of my artwork.” She knew how much the library meant to me and believed my story could inspire all the kids who saw it. Reminding them that anything was possible. Of course I couldn't say no to that. It was definitely a knew style for me, but it became one of my favorites.

I think it was one of Sunnie's favorites too. Once I finished up, with Sunnie's approval, I donated it to the library.

Finally, it was the weekend. Sunnie must have thought I was getting ready to leave for work because she ran into my arms and gave me a big bear hug. I told her that today Daddy was spending time with his family.

First, we went to the library to see the knew Kiddy Corner. Seeing my art hanging on the wall really brought things full circle. Just a few years ago, I was selling my paintings to earn cash so I could buy Korbin's car. That car brought me to an abandoned house next door to this exact library. In this library, right upstairs, I hacked my way to Daniel and we found home again. Never knowing that it would all lead me right where I am today. If that painting could inspire every kid who ever sat down on that rug to never give up hope, it was all worth it.

I know I would be telling that story to Sunnie until she got sick of it. But at least she'd never forget it.

It was a nice night, so we decided to grill some food and enjoy it under the stars.

June said she was so honored to see the man that I had grown up to be. I told her that I had the most supportive partner a guy could ever ask for. We were a team. All three of us. When we worked together, there was nothing we couldn't do. This was only the beginning.

And a new beginning was way overdue. The next morning, our upstairs bathroom decided to throw in the towel.

June and I just laughed about, our socks soaking in toilet water. Without saying a word, we both knew what each other was thinking. It was time.

So I searched around for someone houses until I found the perfect one...

Definitely a fixer-upper, but with a new paint job and new walls, we could make it anything we wanted it to be. This could be our dream house.

It definitely wasn't what June was expecting, and she wasn't completely on board at first, but I couldn't blame her. It was a lot to take in. “It has...potential.  I trust you.” That's all I needed to hear.

My smile got even bigger looking over at Sunnie. I think she felt it too. “Sunnie, this is our new house. What do you think?” She just grinned, her eyes wide, probably imaging how freely she could run around in all that yard. 

The day had finally come. Harley was about to live his biggest dream ever. He was officially a working actor. He was so psyched when he got the call after making a big impression at his audition and practiced all day and night to perfect his lines. He was going to rock this Christmas Cafe commercial. This was his moment to shine. His big break. “Tis the season for family jolly. First cup of hot cocoa on us.”

I had the day off, so I wanted to take care of some business of my own. I couldn't stop worrying about Tierra, beating myself up about the tension there must be between her and her father. Because of me. I had to get to the bottom of what was going on. So I went over to her house to get some answers. And her dad greeted me at the door.

“You're Daniel, I assume?”

“Yeah?”

“Tierra won't be seeing you. I think it's best if you stay away from her.”

“Sir, with all do respect, Tierra and I are just friends. I don't see what the big deal is.”

“I heard about your run-in with the wrong crowd. I don't want my daughter being associated with trouble.”

So it was true. His not so secret spy must have found out about what happened between me and AP. It wasn't even my fault. He had no right to judge me for something he had no clue about. “You don't even know me.”

“I know enough. Now I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”

I had no other choice but to go. If I stayed and tried to plead my case, it would only make him angrier. Not like I could convince him anyway. He saw what he wanted to see in me. There was no way I was changing his mind. I guess this really was goodbye. The sad thing is, I never even got to say it.

Today was Harley's shoot at the Christmas Cafe. He was so nervous he started talking to himself just to try and calm down. I don't know what he was so worried about. I'd seen him run these lines a bunch of times. He was ready.

“Come on down to the Christmas Cafe. Your home for the holidays.”

While on set, Harley caught the eye of an agent who was interested in representing him. “You've got something about you, kid. You've got star potential.” It's what I told him everyday. I guess the world was finally starting to catch up.

DAY 2

Diaz looked a little down the next morning. I asked how he was feeling. He said he thought that maybe the fire was a sign that he was making the wrong decision. “What if I'm making a mistake?”

I asked him if he loved Monse. Without hesitation he said he loved her with all of his heart.

“Then why would it be a mistake.”

“What if it's not what I thought it would be?”

“What if it's more?” I couldn't let him make a hasty decision in the present just because he was afraid of the future risking missing out on the greatest life he could ask for. He deserved a chance to be happy. Both of them did.

What Diaz really needed was a moment to clear his head. So, I took everyone out for a fishing lesson.

Sunnie was more interested in befriending butterflies.

Later that night, June and I talked about how much space the cabin had compared to our apartment studio, which felt like it was getting tinier by the second. It would be nice to own a home with a little bit more room to move around in. Sunnie could have her own bedroom. We could actually separate the kitchen from the dining room. Staying in the cabin was spoiling us, making dreamers out of us again, which made us more eager to find a new place. We made plans to look up houses as soon as we got home.

DAY 3

If I thought Diaz was nervous on the first day of the trip, he was way worse on the final day. I'm guessing he didn't sleep last night. He looked like a zombie, lost in his own head, and probably his speech.

“Today's going to be a good day.” I raised a cup of coffee to him, hoping it would wake him up and bring the light back to his eyes.

He smiled. “The best.”

Diaz set up a picnic for Monse in the back of the cabin facing the lake. They talked about how they weren't ready for the vacation to end. How they should do it more often. Monse was surprised how well the food tasted. Diaz said he didn't want her clowning him, so he made sure to practice. The truth was he  nagged Oscar to teach him the recipe until he could do it with his eyes closed.

After they ate, Diaz took Monse by the lake where they watched the fountain spray high, reaching toward the sky. “We've been through a lot together. I don't know if I would have made it without you. But I hope I never have to.”

“Will you marry me?” To Diaz' utter amazement and relief, she said yes.

I was so happy for him. Diaz was finally tying the knot.